Heroes: Peter Gabriel

Oh no.

Listen. I don't like writing negative recaps of "Heroes" or any other TV show. Sure it's a lot easier (and funnier) for me to write about something ridiculously terrible, but you have to believe me when I tell you that every Monday night I sit down to watch "Heroes" I want the show to be good.

Unfortunately, the show has gotten worse every time out since its promising season 3 premiere.

Oh no.

I know last week's previews teased it, but did we REALLY need another "apocalyptic future" episode (oooh, I can't wait for next year's hellish vision of the future)? On top of that, did we need to see another bomb decimate a good portion of the population (at least this time it wasn't New York). As my girlfriend Erica astutely pointed out, why don't the characters in the show just stop trying to fix the future (and making things worse in the process) and just deal with things the way they are?

I get that the show is trying to make the point that, no matter how much you try, you can't change the future (or even save the world), but earlier (and better) sci-fi works have been making this point for decades. So the overused and lame attempts by "Heroes" to make these points come off as lazy.

Then again, if you watch the show as a comedy (which I might start doing, it's not so bad). It's a shame though, because the episode started off promisingly enough when Future Peter presented Present Peter with a future four years from now where damn near everyone had special abilities. The future we were watching was also a version of the future Parkman saw during his spirit quest, which I'm still trying to acknowledge as little as possible — at least the (non)talking turtle returned last night.

I thought the episode would explore the whole "if everyone is special then no one is special" idea, but that might actually have yielded an interesting episode.

Instead, the hour went on to tease and set up mostly inane questions and mysteries (what made Claire want to join a hit squad? How did Matt and Daphne get together? Is Mohinder a snake, a ninja, or both?) that will eventually be answered — assuming people still care by that point.

While I was laughing at Milo Ventimiglia's "hardass" performance as Future Peter (his low, husky voice was almost as over-the-top as Christian Bale's in "The Dark Knight") he got shot and killed. Before I could wonder how Future Peter can be killed by several bullets to the chest since he has Claire's ability, Present Peter got the hell out of there.

Peter disappeared to Isaac Mendez' loft/Mohinder's lab, where the not-so-good doctor had become some sort of disfigured, wretched creature that hides in the darkness. Needless to say, I like him a lot better that way, especially if it turns out he killed and ate Maya (Least. Appealing. Couple. Ever.) Still, if they insist on having Mohinder on the show, he needs to spend more time working on a version of the formula that actually works and less time getting into inconsequential fights with neighbors. Also, what's with the extreme attitude? Is that another side-effect of the formula? Maybe Mohinder's not a superhero and he's just on his period?

Heeding Future Peter's earlier advice, Present Peter went to Costa Verde to find Sylar and take his ability only to learn "Gabriel" had settled down into a life of happy domesticity.

The Peter/Sylar (pictured, right) storyline was BY FAR the best part of the episode. I kinda wish the episode had been entirely about them. Gabriel warned Peter that his power (figuring out how things work) also came along with a hunger for more of that knowledge and power (an interesting point that hadn't been previously addressed). In this future, Sylar wrestled with that urge every day, but seemed to have come out the other side as a good guy (maybe with the help of Bennett, who we all assume is dead). On the other hand, once Peter acquired Sylar's power, we knew he'd also take on some of his more unsavory qualities. Still, I was strangely unaffected when he sliced his brother's head open.

I also might've cared more about little Noah's death if his presence weren't so obviously a ploy to garner cheap sympathy (it doesn't work because we don't know the kid) and, literally, set Sylar off. Knox and Daphne also didn't survive the blast, with the latter racing all the way to New York (huh) to die in Parkman's arms. To be honest, I was more saddened by the fact that Mr. Muggles was undoubtedly killed in the blast.

Back in the present, things were going a little better — unless you count the Hiro/Ando storyline which is currently spinning its wheels as the two continue to distrust each other. We get it (and hopefully Hiro gets it): these two need each other. The only forward movement last night was Angela Petrelli charging Hiro and Ando with getting the formula back — and enlisting the help of Adam Monroe/Kensei. While the situation has "bad idea" written all over it from the characters' perspectives, I like that David Anders is back because he was one of the few highlights from last season. I was just a little disappointed he didn't say "hello carp" when Hiro opened his coffin.

Finally, there was Tracy and Nathan. Tracy found out that she was one of three triplets adopted (and apparently early test subjects for the formula). Meanwhile, although I don't care for Nathan and Linderman's talk of angels the same way I didn't really care for it in "Hancock," I thought Nathan's scenes with Tracy were some of the more effective last night. Tracy's discovery of her powers is reminiscent of what the show was about in the beginning, while Nathan is also still trying to figure out his purpose.

I'm not saying that the show needs to go back to what it was in season 1 (except for the part where it was really good), but that they should focus on the stuff that works and maybe blow up (for real this time!) the superfluous characters that don't.

So what'd you think of this episode? I mean Claire was the mother of Gabriel's son, Noah, in the future, right? Will Nathan get to sleep with all three triplets before everything's said and done?